We have horribly hard water (which we are still trying to resolve) :confused: , unfortunately, over time, the shower drain has a terrible lime buildup which is cutting off the drain and narrowoing it to the point the water is draining ever so slowly. That problem coupled with the fact that we have a septic tank seems to make it difficult to clear, without causing damage to the bacteria in the septic tank :rolleyes: .

Anyone have any ideas for clearing out all this lime deposit and returning the drain flow?

Thanks! :)

Ck

I don't know the answer if your lines are metal, but if they're plastic (PVC), then use a good acid based drain cleaner.

Look for the kind designed for drains that drain slow... not ones that are completely stopped up.

Rick gave you a very good solution for removing lime from a drainage system that connects to a city sewer, however I've been researching the net for the last hour trying to find a commercial l lime cleaner that would be safe for your septictank like Lime-A-Way or CRL. All acid based cleaners will destroy the bacteria in your tank. After a hour here's what I came up with..
"Less aggressive lime-deposit-removers used here in Europe contain
no strong but weak acids, mostly organic acids, like vinigar.
These are less harfull for the user ( in case of a spil),
and less harmfull for plants and rivers, and septic tank systems.
( BTW vinigar is also a more enviro-safe herbicide !)"
If you were on a city sewer I would say follow Ricks advice but to be on the safe side follow mine. Good luck, Tom

Thank you rick j and speedball, I had surmised that Ricks response would apply ony to sewers, everything I have read says that acid based cleaners will destroy the septic tank bacteria, which would then bring worse problems than what I currently have.

I did pour a small amount of vinegar in the drain but there was no noticeable reaction. Any idea how the vinegar should be applied? (Heated, a gallon at a time?? ).

Thanks!

Bring a gallon vinegar to a boil and pour it down the drain and let it set over night. If the drain lip's loaded up with lime then place a balloon down in the drain and blow it up to close off the drain. Now fill the drain up to the neck and let it set over night, Next morning see if the lime has loosened enough to chip it out. Good luck, Tom

We have poured baking soda down the drain followed by vinegar. Let this foam up and then follow up with a pan of hot water. Cleans the drain every time. Do this once a year or more if the drain gets a considerable amount of use.